June 5, 2017

On July 1, 2017, the Libraries will fully transition to the proxy service EZproxy. Moving to EZproxy will change how members of the Drexel community access online resources such as journal articles, databases and electronic books, while ensuring the Libraries is providing consistent access to these licensed information resources.

Drexel Libraries has been innovative in its approach to what most academic libraries budget as 'collection management' or 'acquisitions.'  These concepts reflect the long traditions of academic libraries to collect physical books and journals, which were acquired by purchasing specific titles and receiving actual volumes.  It was relatively easy then to allow persons beyond those employed or enrolled in the University to borrow a volume--the major challenge librarians faced was to ensure that an adequate number of copies was available to the faculty, students and staff engaged in Drexel's academic work.  

But since more and more libraries now rely on licensed access to information resources, flexibility to authorize use of those resources 'acquired' through licenses is far more limited.  In order to obtain educational discounts to access many resources, academic libraries agree to restrict use to those enrolled or employed. In making decisions about which titles to make conveniently accessible online, Drexel librarians have been reconceiving how to 'build collections' rather as how to 'ensure access.' 

Engaging in license agreements with vendors is complimented by collaboratively arranging resource sharing options (such as interlibrary loan) with other libraries and identifying open source approaches to publishing.   Transitioning to a single log-in through EZproxy for licensed access will result in more reliable usage statistics, including information such as number of users and costs of access to titles in order to calculate the value of licensed access to specific titles.  Along with already available data on interlibrary loan and EZ Borrow transactions, librarians will have better evidence to make decisions about which options are most cost-effective toward ensuring access to needed information resources first and foremost for educating Drexel students, but also for faculty and other researchers working to improve the academic experience.

After July 1, Drexel faculty, students and staff will need to log in to EZproxy using their Drexel University user ID and password. Login will be required regardless of physical location, and a single login at the beginning of each session will carry the user through all available licensed resources in the course of the same browser session.  Off-site access to the Libraries' electronic access will continue to be restricted to those currently enrolled in classes. Alumni and other visitors are welcome to visit any of the Libraries physical locations where staff can assist with onsite access to electronic resources.

Please refer to our Frequently Asked Questions for more information, or contact any liaison librarian for more information.